Pipe tool

ABSTRACT

A pipe tool adapted for carrying in a pocket and provided with a knife blade for scraping a pipe bowl, a pick for cleaning a stem of a pipe, and a tamping surface for tamping tobacco into a pipe bowl. The pick is telescopically received in a hollow blade of the tool and covered by a cup providing the tamping surface and the tool further includes a pair of cap portions for completely enclosing the knife blade and cup providing the tamping surface to prevent harm to a person carrying the tool and soiling of the persons clothes. The blade is mounted within a passageway extending through a hollow supporting member and the pick extends into the hollow portion of the blade through the same. The pick has a base member secured within a cup member serving as a handle therefor and having a flat tamping surface at its closed end. When the pick is placed in the blade, the open end of the cup member is supported in an annular groove in an end surface of the supporting member. The caps are mounted in abutting relation on the exterior of the supporting member and extend in opposite directions therefrom.

United States Patent 1191 Patton 1 1 PIPE TOOL [76] Inventor: Edward Donald Patton, 611 E. 88th St., Chicago, 111. 60619 [22] Filed: Nov. 24, 1972 [21] Appl.'No.: 309,427

comp etey enc 05m t e m e a e an cup rovl 12%1 1121421; r 1 1. r k 1 b1 d p r mg t e tampmg Su ace to prevent arm to a person [58] new of Search 131/243 247 carrying the tool and soiling of the persons clothes. The blade is mounted within a passageway extending [56] References cued through a hollow supporting member and the pick ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS tends into the hollow portion of the blade through the 865,547 9/1907 Walker 131/243 same. The pick has a base member secured within a 1 9 3/1912 Dodge cup member serving as a handle therefor and having a g r flattamping surface at its closed end. When the pick is 215$ (in CI... n I placed .1n the blade, the open end of the cup member 3,327,717 4 6/1967 Grossman 131/243 is Supported in an annular groove in an end Surface of FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS the supporting member. The caps are mounted in 406,943 3/1934 Great Britain 131/243 abutting relation n the xterior of the supporting 205.633 10/1923 Great Britain.... 131/245 member and extend in opposite directlons therefrom. 821 .272 11/1951 Germany 131/243 Priniary Examiner-Joseph S. Reich I 10 Claims 6 Drawing Figures Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Simpson, Van a r 1 t e n Steadman, Chiara & Simpson June 4, 1974 7] ABSTRACT A pipe tool adapted 'for carrying in a pocket and provided with a knife blade for scraping a pipe bowl, a pickfor cleaning a stern of a pipe, and a tamping surface for tamping tobacco into a pipe bowl. The pick is telescopically received in a hollow blade of the tool and covered by a cup providing the tamping surface and the tool further includes a pair of cap portions for PATENT EUJUH 41914 BACKGROUND OF TI-IE DISCLOSURE 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is directed to a pipe tool providing a knife blade, a pick, and a tamping surface which are enclosed in an outer case for carrying by a person when not in use.

2. Prior Art A person, who smokes a pipe, is continuously faced with a problem ofpacking tobacco into the bowl of the pipe and cleaning the pipe after it has been used. While the smoker can use his fingers to pack the tobacco in the pipe bowl, it is often desirable to tamp the burning tobacco in the bowl after removing part of the ash. While the ash may be removed by tapping the pipe, wet or soggy tobacco may accumulate atthe bottom of the bowl or in thestem and this accumulated tobacco is not easily removed by tapping the pipe. To both tamp hot tobacco and removeaccumulated tobacco from the stem and the bottom of the bowl, many pipe smokers carry a pipe smoking accessory such as a pipe tool having a tamping surface, and means for digging the tobacco from the bowl.

Many different types of tools have been suggested. For example a combination tool ,knife blade, pick and tamping surface such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,530,348 which issued to Blom on Mar. 17,1925.

One problem with the combination tools is that the surfaces such as the tamping surface or the knife blade are dirty due to ashes or are covered with thick gooey tobacco juices which accumulate in the bottom of the bowl of the pipe or in the stem. Thus, the combination tool of three different pipe tools requiresa cleaning after use or without the cleaning it may possibly soil the clothes which is undesirable. To overcome this prob- 2 the body member, which continuous passageway telescopically receives the elongated member of the pick and which tool includes a cup member received on the body member to cover the pick and. provide the tamping surface. The case of the tool is formed by afirst and second hollow cap member which are telescopically received on the body member. The body member is preferably provided with a reduced diameter portion for receiving the cup member and the continuous passageway terminates in a countersunk portion at the opposite end surface to facilitate insertion of the elongated member of the pick. In the preferred embodiment, the base of the pick is preferably secured in the cup memher so that the withdrawing of the cup member from is carried therein.

lem. it has been proposed to provide a case containing one or two tools to prevent soiling of clothes while carrying the tool when it is not in use. Examples of these proposed tools are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,256,848 which issued to Pokorny on Sept. 23, I941; U.S. Pat. No.'2,790,448 which issued to Bock on Apr. 30, 1957; and a U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,915 which issued to Fassbender on Feb. 15, 1966. In the devices illustrated in the patents which issued to Pokorny and Bock, a case similar to a fountain pen case is provided with a tamping surface and hasa pick or needle-like .larly useful in a pipe tool generally indicated at 10 in protrusion for cleaning the stems of the pipe. In the de- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a pipe tool having a knife blade, a pick and a tamping surface all of which are storedwith a case to prevent soiling of a persons clothes and to prevent damage from the sharp implements. The pipe tool of the invention has a body member having a hollow knife blade extending from one end, which hollow knife blade extends from a continuous passageway opening at opposite end surfaces of Another object of the present invention is to provide a pipe tool in which the tamping surface, pick and knife blade are all contained in a protective outer casing.

tion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the pipe tool of the present invention; v g e FIG. 2 is an end view taken from the FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pipe tool with one of the end caps removed to expose the tamping surface;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view with parts shown in section of the tools of the present invention with the casin removed;

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the pipe tool with one cap member removed to expose the knife; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-Vl of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The principles of the present invention are particu- FIG. l.-The tool 10 has an outer case formed by a first hollow cap member 11 and a second hollow cap member 12 which abut along a line 13 to provide a continuous case. Preferably, the caps 11 and 12 have a square cross section which tapers from the line 13 to a narrow end as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. To enable the carrying of the tool 10 in an upright position in a pocket, the cap 11 has a clip 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the pipe 10 includes a knife blade 15, a pick'formed by an elongated member 16 having a base member 17 and a tamping surface 18 which is a flat end of a cup member 19 having a cylindrical wall 20 terminating in a peripheral edge 21. While the pick may be separable from the cup member 19, the base member 17 is preferably secured in the cup member 19 with the member 17 spaced from the tamping surface 18 so that the cup provides an enlarged gripping surface for the pick.

To enable storage of the knife blade 15, pick and tamping surface 18 in the case formed by the cap members l1 and 12, the tool 10 has a body member 22 with a substantially square cross-section. The body member 22 has a first end portion 23 of the square cross-section terminating in an end surface 24 for telescopically receiving the first cap member 11 and a second end portion which is formed by a portion 26 of a square cross- ,Section for telescopically receiving the cap member 12 and a cylindrical portion 27 of a reduced diameter which is less than the dimension of the square cross section of portion 26 to form a shoulder 28 with the portion 26. The cylindrical portion 27 terminates in an end surface 29.

The knife blade is a hollow blade with a passageway 30 and is mounted on the body member 22 to. extend outward from the end surface 24 with the passageway in communication with the end surface 29 by a passageway 31 in the body'membe'r to form a continuous passageway for telescopically receiving the elongated member 16 of the pick. As illustrated the blade is received in a recess 32 with the passageways 30 and 31 in axial alignment, and the passageway 31 terminates with a countersunk portion 33 which facilitates the insertion of the elongated member 16 of the pick into the continuous'passageway. While the depth of the recess 32 is illustrated as being only part of the axial'length of the body member, the body member 22 may be molded onto the blade 15 with the base 34 of the knife blade 15 being adjacent to either the end surface 29 or the apex of countersunk portion- 33. v 1

To provide a gripping engagement with the cap, members 11 and 12, and the portions 23 and 26 are provided'with an external surface which corresponds with the internal surface of their respective cap members. If desired, the external surface of the portions 23 and 26 may'have a slight taper. To insure that the cup member 19 is grippingly held on the cylindrical portion 27, an annular groove 35 is provided in the shoulder 28 adjacent the cylindrical portion 27 to'grippingly receive the peripheral edge 21 of the cup member.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the second cap member 12 has been removed to expose a tamping surface 18 of the cup member 19. When the tamping is completed, the cap member 12 is telescopically received on the second end portion in abutting engagement with the first cap portion 11 as illustrated in FIG. 1. During carrying of the tool in a pocket, using the clip 14 to maintain the tool in a vertical position, any ash on the tamping surface 18 or the cup member 19 will fall into the hollow cap-portion Y12 and thus subsequent removal of the cap portion 12 will not spill the ash on the user.

To utilize the pick, the cup 19 is withdrawn from its telescopic assembly on the reduced diameter portion 27 to withdraw the elongated member 16 of the pick from the continuous passageway. After use, the pick is inserted back into the continuous passageway and the second cap 12 isreinserted on the second end portion of the body. To utilize the knife blade 15, the first cap member 11 having the clip 14 is removed to expose the knife blade 15, which can be used to remove accumulations from a pipe bowl.

- Preferably, the cup member 19 and the knife blade 15 are metal and the elongated member 16 is a stiff metal wire which is mounted in the cup member 19 by thebase member 17 which may be plastic or another material. The remaining parts of the tool 10, such as the caps 11 and 12 and the body member 22 are preferably formed of a moldedplastic material which enables a wide selection of color for these parts to provide a pipe tool which has an aesthetic appearance.

Although various minor modifications may be suggested by those versed in the art, I wish to include within the scope of the patent granted hereon all modifications and embodiments that come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

1. A pipe tool comprising: a body member having a first end portion with an end. surface, a second end portion with an end surface and a passageway extending between. and through the two. end surfaces, a knife blade having a hollow passageway extending along the length of the blade, said blade being mounted to project from the end surface of the first end portion of the body member. with the hollow passageway of the blade in communication with'the passageway of the body portion and the end surface of the second end portion to provide a continuous passageway, a pick having a base member with an elongated member extending therefrom, said pick being removably attached to the body member with the elongated member .telescopicallyreceived in the continuous passageway and the base member adjacent the end surface of the second end portion, a cup member removablyreceived on the second end portion of the body member to cover the base member of the pick, said cup member having a-flat surface for use as a tamping surface, a first removable hollow cap member telescopically received on the first end portion to receive and coverthe knife blade, and a second removable hollow cap member telescopically received onthe second'end portion of the body member to cover the cup member and its tamping surface.

, ,2. A pipe tool according to claim 1, wherein the first cap member is provided with clip means for attaching the tool in a pocket so that any ashes on the, tamping surface fall into the second hollow cap member.

3. A pipe tool according to claim 1', wherein the second end portion has a cylindrical portion and a remaining portion, said cylindrical portion having a cross section smaller than the cross section of the remaining portion to form a'shoulder therebetween, said cylindrical portion being adjacent the end surface of the second portion for receiving the cup member so that the interior of the second hollow cap member is spaced from the cup member.

4. A pipe tool according to claim 3, wherein the second end portion is provided with an annular groove adjacent to the cylindrical portion for receiving the peripheral edge of the cup member as it is telescopically disposed thereon.

5. A pipe tool according to claim 1, wherein the cup member includes means for securing the base member of the pick therein so that removal of the cup member a from the second end portion withdraws the elongated member of the pick from the continuous passageway.

' callyreceiving the cup member and wherein said continuous passageway is provided with a countersunk portion adjacent the end surface of the second end portion to facilitate insertion of the elongated member of the pick.

portion of a smaller cross section and wherein the first 7 and second cap members have a substantially square cross section for snuggly engaging the first and second end portions respectively 10. A pipe tool according to claim 9, wherein the cup member has a cylindrical wall terminating in a peripheral edge and wherein the second end portion has an annular groove adjacent the cylindrical portion for grippingly receiving the peripheral edge of the cup member as it is telescopically disposed on the cylindrical portion. v v 

1. A pipe tool comprising: a body membEr having a first end portion with an end surface, a second end portion with an end surface and a passageway extending between and through the two end surfaces, a knife blade having a hollow passageway extending along the length of the blade, said blade being mounted to project from the end surface of the first end portion of the body member with the hollow passageway of the blade in communication with the passageway of the body portion and the end surface of the second end portion to provide a continuous passageway, a pick having a base member with an elongated member extending therefrom, said pick being removably attached to the body member with the elongated member telescopically received in the continuous passageway and the base member adjacent the end surface of the second end portion, a cup member removably received on the second end portion of the body member to cover the base member of the pick, said cup member having a flat surface for use as a tamping surface, a first removable hollow cap member telescopically received on the first end portion to receive and cover the knife blade, and a second removable hollow cap member telescopically received on the second end portion of the body member to cover the cup member and its tamping surface.
 2. A pipe tool according to claim 1, wherein the first cap member is provided with clip means for attaching the tool in a pocket so that any ashes on the tamping surface fall into the second hollow cap member.
 3. A pipe tool according to claim 1, wherein the second end portion has a cylindrical portion and a remaining portion, said cylindrical portion having a cross section smaller than the cross section of the remaining portion to form a shoulder therebetween, said cylindrical portion being adjacent the end surface of the second portion for receiving the cup member so that the interior of the second hollow cap member is spaced from the cup member.
 4. A pipe tool according to claim 3, wherein the second end portion is provided with an annular groove adjacent to the cylindrical portion for receiving the peripheral edge of the cup member as it is telescopically disposed thereon.
 5. A pipe tool according to claim 1, wherein the cup member includes means for securing the base member of the pick therein so that removal of the cup member from the second end portion withdraws the elongated member of the pick from the continuous passageway.
 6. A pipe tool according to claim 5, wherein the cup member has a cylindrical wall extending from the flat surface, wherein the second end portion has a cylindrical portion adjacent to the end surface for telescopically receiving the cup member and wherein said continuous passageway is provided with a countersunk portion adjacent the end surface of the second end portion to facilitate insertion of the elongated member of the pick.
 7. A pipe tool according to claim 6, wherein the second end portion has an annular groove adjacent to the cylindrical portion for receiving a peripheral edge of the cylindrical wall of the cup member to grippingly hold the cup member thereon.
 8. A pipe tool according to claim 7, wherein the base member of the pick is spaced from the flat surface of the cup member.
 9. A pipe tool according to claim 1, wherein the body member has a substantially square cross section with said second end portion terminating in a cylindrical portion of a smaller cross section and wherein the first and second cap members have a substantially square cross section for snuggly engaging the first and second end portions respectively.
 10. A pipe tool according to claim 9, wherein the cup member has a cylindrical wall terminating in a peripheral edge and wherein the second end portion has an annular groove adjacent the cylindrical portion for grippingly receiving the peripheral edge of the cup member as it is telescopically disposed on the cylindrical portion. 